by Alex Moresco

When I was in high school and college, I took my daily multivitamin but never gave supplements another thought. I have always made a conscious effort to eat my greens and colorful veggies, thinking I would get my nutrients through my meals.

I was seeing one of my Lyme Disease specialists yesterday and she dropped a mind blowing fact: you would need to eat 75 oranges to get the nutrients of an original orange that was grown many, many years ago. Our soil is so depleted that we no longer get the nutrients our bodies need: giving us low energy and brittle hair, skin and nails.

When I started taking my ten million supplements to help my body fight my disease, I noticed a major unexpected benefit: my hair started growing rapidly, my nails were longer and stronger than ever and my skin was no longer constantly broken out. I have friends and my Insta-friends send me messages asking me what supplements I take because they want to follow along, and while my intensive routine cannot be followed by everyone, there are some general vitamins and supplements that might help you kick that 3pm fatigue or help your hair to be a little bit more shiny!

*Obviously- I am not a doctor! I have a team of FOUR doctors AND a nutritionist telling me what to take, eat, do…etc! This is not meant to cure, treat, etc anything! But if you want to live a little bit healthier or understand what vitamins are great for your body, this is for you! If you are wondering why I am not linking to direct supplement brands here, it is because I take special supplements that are stronger than the normal “healthy” person should. Here is an interesting article on what vitamin/supplement brands actually do the job they claim to on the bottle, and which to avoid.

Turmeric:Turmeric is a “trendy” health supplement right now- and with all of the benefits it reaps, it should be here to stay. Turmeric is comprised of curcumin- a chemical that is mostly known for being anti-inflammatory. Studies have shown that turmeric is very effective in fighting pain and inflammation- better than Motrin or Tylenol. In addition to being anti-inflammatory (this is the reason I take turmeric- it has massively helped the inflammation in my joints) Turmeric is known to fend off heart attacks, delay diabetes, and protect the brain. If you are curious, here are two (1, 2) good references.

Vitamin D: Essentially, vitamin D keeps our bones healthy and regulates our immune system! While vitamin C tends to steal all the spotlight, vitamin D should not be neglected due to it’s help in absorbing calcium and phosphorous (this keeps our bones stronger.) Vitamin D also helps fight risk of disease and is a serious mood booster. Believe it or not, a vitamin D deficiency can cause serious headaches. Learn more here.

Vitamin B-12: Personally I take vitamin B-12 in two forms for energy: a tablet every morning and a B-12 shot once a week. After I get a B-12 shot I am noticeably perkier for 4-5 days after. B-12 is an amazing source of energy due to it’s ability to break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and use them more efficiently in your body throughout the day. While this is not the main benefit of taking B-12, it is also linked to aiding in speeding up your metabolism, healthier hair, skin and nails. Read more, here.

Magnesium: Magnesium is not a supplement we typically run to the grocery store to buy. I was introduced to magnesium after my doctors found that my heart was not pumping blood properly, and I began taking magnesium to strengthen my heart and help my blood flow easier. So needless to say, magnesium is great for your heart, but also has many added benefits! Magnesium aids in keeping your energeti, as well as in enzyme production AKA helping your body digest your food with ease. If you are an avid gym goer, magnesium helps build muscle safely. Read more, here.

This past weekend I turned 24! My family has always celebrated “birthday weeks” and I look forward to it every year! My parents and I tried out a new restaurant in Chicago called Giant. Not going to lie- I was a little nervous when I first took a glance at the menu, but everything they put down on the table was more delicious than the last. It is in Logan Square, about a five minute drive from Lost Lake. I have professed my love for Lost Lake here before, and recently made a tiki cocktail inspired by their tiki drinks. Needless to say, we stopped at Lost Lake for a cocktail to top off the night. Saturday night we went to The Aviary– my all time favorite cocktail spot in Chicago. If you have not been to The Aviary- you need to RUN there right now! The things they do to alcohol are truly incredible. We ended the night at Swift & Sons. I got a few questions about the outfits I posted on Instagram, so I thought I would share them!

My mom called me last week when I was in Nashville to see if there was anything I had wanted for my birthday. Honestly- I 100% forgot to tell my mom that I wanted anything because of my foggy Lyme brain. Whoops. BUT- my mom found this beautiful python lips bag from designer Gelareh Mizrahi- you can scoop one up exclusively at Barney’s or on her website, here. Fun fact: you can order a custom bag of your face. I collect (hoard) bags (and shoes and clothes- HA) and this was the perfect, unique addition to my collection.

While you might be busy stressing out about what to get your significant other for Valentine’s Day (what do you get the person who has everything?!) your outfit should be a source of joy. Whether it’s Galentine’s Day or Valentine’s Day, everyone loves an excuse to throw on a pretty pink dress and throw back a few glasses of champagne. While my personal style does not usually involve a ton of bright colors, I love dressing girly frocks down with a leather jacket for some juxtaposition.

For the past few years, DJ and I have gone to Pastoral in Lakeview and had a phenomenal time- it is the cutest little spot with a phenomenal staff. They host a Valentine’s Day dinner that is coursed out with a wine pairing. Sadly I cannot eat dairy, gluten, soy or corn due to some health issues so we are switching it up this year and going to Cold Storage in the West Loop for the phenomenal shellfish tower.

I picked this pink, satin dress up in the Fall while traveling but it has been too cold to pull it out of my closet. I threw it on a few weeks back when the weather was above freezing and immediately fell in love with it- it is easy to wear with heels or sandals and pairs well with a leather or denim jacket. I can already tell that this will be on repeat through the Spring.

Last week I mentioned that I love any excuse to dress up. Luckily for me, January is packed with black-tie events AKA a great reason to throw on a gown and support a good cause. This past weekend, DJ and I attended Chicago Booth’s Winter Formal, otherwise known as #NerdProm, at the Bridgeport Art Center. This coming weekend, we are attending Snowball. I have gone for the past five years in a row, and love supporting Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

When I was in Milan this Fall, I searched for a unique, transitional dress that could be worn different times in different ways. This classic black and metallic Missoni immediately grabbed my attention and it had to be mine. Unfortunately, the dress is not available in the US but I linked a similar one below. For #NerdProm, I threw an edgy leather jacket over it and kept my hair down. Next week, I am wearing it with my hair up and strappy heels.

In the next few months, Chicago is booming with black tie fundraisers, galas and events. The feeling of getting to dress up in a floor length gown is one that I have always loved, but comes few and far between. I wore this Parker zing-zag skirt two years ago to Snowball which is quickly approaching at the end of January. This year, I am wearing a floor-length dress in a classic silhouette that I picked up in Milan. Specifically when making a big purchase like a floor length formal dress, I look for something timeless that I can wear again in many different ways and fits me well.

If you are anything like me, you hate the frigid weather that the Midwest (Chicago, I’m looking at you) brings in the Winter months. With DJ getting his MBA at Booth and working full time + me getting my Masters and working part-time, we decided that a mini-vacation to a warm place was much needed. We wanted to try a place neither of us had ever been before so we settled on Amelia Island, more specifically the gorgeous Ritz Carlton.

I posted this same photo above on my Instagram a few days ago and got some questions on my dress so I thought I would share it here! While this dress isn’t current season, it will always be one of my favorites. We weren’t expecting to take any (professional) photos on our trip, but spontaneously decided to last minute and this playful parrot print dress worked perfectly! I don’t often wear tight pieces, but I love how Milly makes dresses for women with curves.

I was always a weird duck in college. I started out at DePaul as an accounting major (WOW was that a mistake- eventually switched to PR/AD) and was looking for a little bit of a creative outlet- this was how my first blog, StreetStyleChi, was born. Starting StreetStyleChi gave me insight into marketing to the college age girl and I wound up working with Nike on Nike Training Club, a new concept store in Chicago at the time. Being submersed into the sportswear world made me value the technology and time that go into designing everything from the top you wear to the socks you hit the gym in.

Lululemon recently put on “Artistry in Motion” throughout major cities in the United States. I attended the Chicago event with my friend Sarah, where they took us through the craftsmanship techniques in each product and previewed their fall and winter collection. For a sneaker and sportswear geek like myself, this was the perfect night to learn about a brand that I have always loved. Lulu put this on at Lacuna Artist Lofts. My friend Sarah and I wandered the old factory style building for part of the night checking out the art that covers every floor and the neon signs that are tucked around every corner.

Lululemon sent every guest home with a “Chicago Illinois” Apolis bag with the little reminder “choose a life you love.” The goal of Artistry in Motion was not just to promote a product, but genuinely bring the community closer together. I loved the hometown tie in by using local Chicago farms and distillers. I know that Nordstrom and Art Effect both carry Apolis bags in Chicago!

Lulu just came out with some fun new pieces for the holidays and clearly I want everything, but my favorites are this multi-colored top, the Vinyasa Wrap that is basically just a cozy blanket, and these splatter reflective tights that would look just as cool on the street as in the gym.

<3 Al

Make sure to follow me on Instagram @AliTMoresco. All thoughts and opinions are my own.